The water masses in the northern Barents Sea defined from all hydrography observations presented here are seen in Table 3.1.
3.1.1 August 1981 and 1982
Positions of CTD stations observed late August 1981 and 1982 are shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 3.1 and 3.2 shows the most representative vertical temperature and salinity sections of these observations. Vertical density sections had almost identical structure as the corresponding salinity sections (not shown).
The Surface Water (SW) had temperatures from−1.5 to 2◦C and salinity 32 to 34 psu.
It was separated by a sharp halocline at around 20 m depth from Arctic Water (ArW) colder than 0◦C and salinity 34 to 34.5 psu. The most saline ArW with a maximum of 34.7 psu was observed above the northeastern part of Storbanken both years.
Below the ArW, Atlantic Water (AW) was generally observed with temperatures from 0 to 1.3◦C and salinity around 34.7 psu. The AW core was situated at 250 m depth in 1981 and 200 m depth in 1982, and its maximum temperature of 1.8◦C was observed northeast of Storbanken in 1982.
Figure 3.1 (upper) show temperature and salinity sections August 1981 between the island Storøya near the northeast end of Nordaustlandet and Kvitøya, crossing the Kvitøya Strait. The figure shows cores of ArW and AW on the eastern side of the strait. A similar structure was observed August 1982 (not shown).
Temperature and salinity sections from Kvitøya southwards to Kong Karls Land are seen in Figure 3.1 (middle). At Station 194 it is seen a patch of AW close to the sea bed and an ArW core above. The AW here was colder and less saline than that observed in the Kvitøya Strait. The position of this station in Figure 2.1 shows this is in the narrow
Table 3.1: Water mass characteristics.
Water mass Depth (m) Temperature (◦C) Salinity (psu)
Surface Water (SW) 0-20 −1.5 to 2 32-34
Arctic Water (ArW) 40-150 −1.8 to 0 34-34.7
Cold Halocline Water (CHW) 70-80 <−0.5 34-34.5
Atlantic Water (AW) 150-300 0 to 2.2 34.75-34.9
Cold Bottom Water (CBW) 200-350 −1.9 to 0 >34.75
206 205 204 203 202 201 200 Temperature Storoya−Kvitoya August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
206 205 204 203 202 201 200
350
Salinity Storoya−Kvitoya August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
201199 198 197 196 195 194 193 192 191 190
350 Temperature Kvitoya−Kong Karls Land August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
201199 198 197 196 195 194 193 192 191 190
350
34.334.3 34.334.3
34.3
34.334.3 34.3
34.3
34.534.5 34.5
34.5
Salinity Kvitoya−Kong Karls Land August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
167 166 165 164 163 162 161
350
Temperature Nordaustlandet−Kongsoya August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
167 166 165 164 163 162 161
350
Salinity Nordaustlandet−Kongsoya August 1981
Stations
Depth (dBar)
Figure 3.1: Observed temperature (left figures) and salinity (right figures) between Storøya and Kvitøya August 1981 (upper), between Kvitøya and Kong Karls Land August 1981 (middle), and from Nordaustlandet to Kongsøya August 1981 (lower).
322 321 320 318 317 316 315 314313 312 311 310 309 308 307306 305304 303 302 301 300 299298 297296 295 294293 292291290289 288287 286 285 284 283 281280 279 278 277275276274273272 Temperature West−Kong Karls Land−East August 1982
Stations
Depth (dBar)
322 321 320 318 317 316 315 314313 312 311 310 309 308 307306 305304 303 302 301 300 299298 297296 295 294293 292291290289 288287 286 285 284 283 281280 279 278 277275276274273272 350
34.7 34.7 34.7
34.7 Salinity West−Kong Karls Land−East August 1982
Stations
Depth (dBar)
Figure 3.2: Observed temperature (upper) and salinity (lower) from Nordaustlandet to Kong Karls Land and further east passing Storbanken August 1982. Positions of stations seen on map in Figure 2.1.
connection between the southern extension of the Kvitøya Strait and the main deep region in the northern Barents Sea.
Figure 3.1 (lower) show the section from Nordaustlandet to Kongsøya, the largest island of Kong Karls Land. AW was also here observed close to bottom at the deepest station, with similar properties as in the Kvitøya Strait. The figure furthermore shows a wider and colder ArW core than the previous shown sections. At the coast of Nordaustlandet water slightly warmer and fresher than the surroundings was observed. This was also seen in the two other sections from Nordaustlandet and southeastwards (not shown; positions of sections seen in Figure 2.1). These sections also showed the AW core got colder towards south. In the section from Kong Karls Land and southwestwards, AW was not observed at all (not shown).
Figure 3.2 shows the west-east going section crossing almost the whole northern Barents Sea along approximately 79◦N in 1982. Figure 2.1 showss it starts at Nordaustlandet, crosses Kong Karls Land and continues along the northwestern slope of Storbanken to the deep region northeast of Storbanken. The section shows the deep region north of Storbanken had the warmest and most saline AW core, reaching 1.8◦C and 34.8 psu. The deep region between Kong Karls Land and Storbanken had slightly fresher and colder AW with maximum temperature 1.3◦C. The region between Nordaustlandet and Kong Karls Land was mainly occupied by very cold ArW with salinity less than 34.3 psu. The AW core at the bottom here was even colder and fresher being 1◦C and 34.7 psu. Additionally, Figure 3.2 showss the deepest 100 m east and west of Storbanken were occupied by high salinity water (S>34.8 psu) with temperature about 0◦C.
A section going from the northeast edge of Storbanken to Kong Karls Land observed August 1981 (not shown) had quite similar vertical distribution as Figure 3.2.
0 100 200 300 400 500 0
100 200 300 400 500
August 1980−August 1981
1/8 1/9
1/10 1/111/12
1/1 1/2
1/3 1/4
1/51/61/7 1/8
Distance Eastward [KM]
Distance Northward [KM]
1/81/91/101/111/121/11/2 1/41/3 1/51/61/71/8
0 100 200 300 400 500
0 100 200 300 400 500
August 1981−August 1982
1/9 1/10
1/11 1/12
1/1 1/2 1/31/4
1/51/6 1/7
1/8
Distance Eastward [KM]
Distance Northward [KM]
1/91/101/111/121/11/21/31/41/51/61/71/8
0 100 200 300 400 500
0 100 200 300 400 500
August 1982−August 1983
1/9 1/10 1/111/121/11/2
1/31/41/5 1/6
1/7
Distance Eastward [KM]
Distance Northward [KM]
1/9 1/101/111/121/1
1/2 1/41/3 1/5 1/6 1/71/8
Figure 3.3: Progressive vector of measured currents 1980-81 (left), 1981-82 (middle), and 1982-83 (right). Black line denotes upper meter; gray line lower. The circles denote the first day of a month (see dates).
Table 3.2: Statistics of measured (unfiltered) speed (cm/s), eastern velocity component U (cm/s), northern velocity component V (cm/s), temperature T (◦C) and salinity S (psu) for each year of current meter measurements west of Kvitøya. Yearly mean values in upper row and standard deviations in lower row each current meter.
Current meter Velocity Temperature Salinity
Depth Year Speed U V
75 m 1980-81 7.1 1.1 1.2 −1.0 34.5
3.6 3.2 7.1 0.6 0.5
255 m 1980-81 3.5 0.1 0.2 1.0 34.7
1.6 2.3 3.1 0.3 0.1
115 m 1981-82 11.7 1.4 1.5 −0.3 34.4
6.4 4.9 12.2 0.8 0.1
295 m 1981-82 3.6 0.3 0.1 1.0 34.4
2.8 2.2 4.0 0.7 0.6
105 m 1982-83 7.0 0.7 0.9 −0.2 34.2
3.3 3.2 7.0 0.8 0.1
285 m 1982-83 3.8 −0.03 0.4 1.6 34.9
1.8 2.4 3.4 0.3 0.1
3.1.2 CTD September 2000 and 2001
Vertical profiles of the CTD stations north of Kong Karls Land September 2000 and 2001 are shown in Figure 4.1. The figure shows the SW was much colder and fresher in 2000 than 2001. The core of ArW in 2000 and 2001 was slightly warmer than in 1981 and 1982, and completely absent in two stations in 2001, where the upper 100 m were still summer heated. AW reached 1.3◦C and 34.8 psu in 2000. AW was warmer and occupied a larger part of the water column in 2001, reaching 2.2◦C.